Hammer question - advice please

[Tippfish]

I have a green branching hammer whose polyps have been receding for about a week.

I've moved it out of direct light and flow already. I've also done 20% water change. This was a healthy established coral with 8 heads (9+ months in my tank) It has had moments where it has looked improved, but....

I now have occasional brown strings coming off the heads.

I know this is not good.

I don't want to jeopardize the rest of the tank.

Is it time to pull it out?

 

[Tippfish]

Bump

 

[Tippfish]

Wow, nothing...

 

[chefjpaul]

Pictures?
Brown strings are normally digestive- not bad.

Could be splitting / growing new head or its very upset.

 

[TheEngineer]

Post some pics. Get close to the base of one of the sick looking heads too.

 

[Cment]

posting pics would be more helpful. I would continue on the path you taken. If the hammer looks worse and certain heads are dying you can cut the hammer and remove the dead ends, you can also try dipping with iodine or lugols

 

[Wayneb332]

Is it close to anything that could be bothering it. They do have a long reach

 

[joshkirkland83]

Sounds like polyp bailout or brown jelly

 

[chefjpaul]

Can't tell w/o a picture honestly

 

[Tippfish]

 

[Tippfish]

Did another coral ribose dip and 2nd carbon change in 4 days.

 

[Tippfish]

Will do another 10% WC tomorrow

 

[TheEngineer]

It just looks stressed to me. Don't dip it again, that's hard on them. That bottom head looks bad, but I can't tell if it is just the angle.

 

[Tippfish]

 

[Wayneb332]

That is how mine looks at night. Hope it is ok.

 

[Tommy's Reef]

Wait how high is your nitrates stop doing water changes

 

[Tippfish]

Nitrates - 5
Ammonia- 0
Calcium- 500
Alkalinity - 8
Ph- 7.9
API tests (I know they suck, but results have been consistent over last 2 months)

Using Reef Crystals salt
RO/DI - TDS - 0
Temp - 77
Specific gravity - 1.026

The hammer doesn't look much better during the day than what's in the photo.

No stringy discharge yesterday

?????

 

[Tippfish]

Sorry...

46 gal DT/ 5 gal sump
Skimmer
Carbon reactor
2x MP10 @ 30% reef crest
2x Kessil A160we max 40% intensity. No recent changes.
No other corals close to hammer.

Position half way up off center on end of tank. Has been there for 300 days.

 

[Tippfish]

I have a tons of diatoms on the sand. Could this be part is the issue?

 

[Tommy's Reef]

Diatoms are from silcate and phosphate, usally as soon as there produced diatoms and other things like algae absorb it. I don't think thats your problem. If u have had them awhile and the whole colony is dying. What changed? N order for them to change. Lights, nitrates lowered? lps love nitrates. But if nothing changed then its a disease or a bug or something n those guidelines. Lower down all the possibility. And youll
youll find out why.